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Over 200 never-before-published photographs from one of the twentieth century's most innovative photographers.

Atget reached the pole of utmost mastery; but with the bitter modesty of a great craftsman who always lives in the shadows, he neglected to plant his flag there. Therefore many are able to flatter themselves that they have discovered the pole, even though Atget was there before them.Walter Benjamin

For 30 years, Eugène Atget photographed the historic core of Paris, its buildings and monuments, its ancient streets and civic spaces, its public parks and gardens. With the exception of his earliest photographs, he chose not to represent a particular site by a single, definitive photograph but produced sequences of interrelated images that create a cumulative portrait.

A collection of case studies of archetypal urban settings, this book examines Atget's approach to photography. It features 240 of his photographsnearly all of which have never been publishedassembled to display the integral relationship between the photographer's working method and his subject matter, revealing the character of le Vieux Paris itself.

A natural companion to the New Press's Berenice Abbott: Changing New York, Eugène Atget is the product of an exhibit mounted in response to Abbott's work and reflective of the two photographers' shared vision.

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

This book does a very good job of piecing together Atget's photography techniques and explorations. it goes deeply into the subject of Atget's "documentary" style of photography in Paris. He took many pictures of the same spaces but from different angles to achieve different effects. Full prints of his photographs constitute more than half of the book, and balance out the more lengthy explanations by David Harris. This book is organized into three main sections which make for easy navigation through its pages. The first three chapters analyze Atget's photographic style, his life as a commercial photographer, and his life at work. The bulk of the book, and the most interesting part, showcases the seven Parisian sites where he took many of his photographs. Lastly is a short conclusion and thumbnails of his photos displayed in the back of the book. Although the photographs may not be that interesting to the average person, photographers will enjoy Atget's choice of historic subjects and his dedication to documenting the city of Paris. Atget took over five thousand exposures of the city. His pictures explore the exciting subtleties of his home.

What has already been said is wonderful, I just want to add that these are black and white photos-a lot of late 1800's Paris;no advertising on buildings, a mood of being there is created, a sense of a more sedate time is created in these photos, a slower pace is the feeling here. No modern hectic, rush, stress,get-ahead Paris that can be currently photographed. These old photos are so very well done, they are still pleasurable to view.